Oil bath

We have a tradition in South India, particularly in Karnataka to take baths after rubbing oneself with and soaking in castor oil. This bathing ritual, I believe, is an ancient one and is still practised meticulously in certain families.

It is considered mandatory to start celebrations of various festivals like Ugadi and Deepavali with an oil bath or yenne neeru and is also an integral part of personal festive events like the Upanayana and marrriages. It is said that on the day of festivals like Ugadi, even the monks who have given up on all material comforts of life are also allowed to take an oil bath.

Typically, everyone in the family sit together with the woman of the family anointing everyone with a little oil and blessing them with a long life. The blessing involves placing seven drops of oil on the right thigh just above the knee invoking the seven immortals / Chiranjeevi of Hindu mythology. Oil then applied to the head, cheeks, outside of the hands and feet. Everyone is then allowed to slather themselves with oil, soak as long as they prefer to and eventually take a hot bath. Hot water is typically poured over the body such that the oil slides off. The remaining oil is typically scrubbed away with the help of powdered soapnut / Shikakai or powdered dried and roasted chickpeas.

An oil bath in the hot summer of India can be an exhausting and a very dehydrating process, but one comes out of it very relaxed and rejuvenated.

While castor oil is most commonly used, people also switch, mix and match with sesame seed or other oils. Oil baths are taken more often in the summer months to counter the effects of the ayurvedic pittha. Castor oil is known to have many benefits with anti-inflammatory properties being one of them.

tags: #culture